From A (Alexander) to Z (Zona)

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We might all be witness to a slice of history at Qwest Field on Sunday.

No, not the Seahawks capturing a fourth consecutive NFC West title with a victory over the Arizona Cardinals – although that can happen, too.

But the game within the game will be whether Shaun Alexander can score a rushing touchdown – which would be the 100th of his career.

A lot has been said about Alexander this season – much of it by you, from the favorable, to the unforgiving, to the furious. But 100 touchdowns is, well, 100 touchdowns.

The only other player in franchise history to hit triple digits (receiving) is Steve Largent, on his way to the Hall of Fame. The only other running backs in league history to rush for 100 have been Emmitt Smith (164), Marcus Allen (123), LaDainian Tomlinson (111), Walter Payton (110), Jim Brown (106), John Riggins (104) and Marshall Faulk (100) – each already in, or well on his way to, the Hall of Fame.

Let those names sink in for a while. Smith, Allen, Tomlinson, Payton, Brown, Riggins and Faulk. Alexander is one run from running with a pretty select group.

Alexander being on the threshold of this achievement has been overshadowed because he missed three games with a sprained left knee and before that was tentative while getting used to playing with a cast on his sprained/cracked left wrist.

It’s also significant that the milestone score could come against the Cardinals, because Alexander has rushed for more touchdowns against them (16) than any other team and obviously had some big games in the process – a 135-yard, two-score outing in 2003; a 154-yard, three-TD game in 2004; and 144-yard, four-TD and 173-yard, two-TD games in 2005.